Description
This Creamy White Chicken Chili is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring shredded chicken, white beans, and a blend of spices simmered to perfection in a creamy broth. Perfect for cozy dinners, it’s complemented with sour cream or Greek yogurt and topped with fresh cilantro, cheese, avocado, and crunchy tortilla chips for added texture and taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder)
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 (4 oz) cans diced green chilies
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Juice from 1/2 small lime
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 (15 oz) cans great northern beans
- 1 cup sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
- 1 cup corn (frozen or fresh)
- 2 heaping cups cooked chicken, shredded (rotisserie or leftover chicken)
Toppings
- Fresh cilantro
- Shredded cheese
- Tortilla chips
- Green onions
- Avocado
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3–5 minutes. Next, add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add spices and liquids: Stir in the chicken broth, diced green chilies, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, dried oregano, lime juice, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well to combine all the flavors.
- Prepare the beans: Drain and rinse the great northern beans. Reserve some of the beans to puree if you prefer a creamier consistency. Blend a portion of the beans with a little bit of the broth until smooth.
- Simmer the chili: Add both the whole beans and the pureed beans into the pot along with the corn. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chili to thicken slightly.
- Finish with dairy and chicken: Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the sour cream or Greek yogurt and the shredded cooked chicken until everything is well incorporated and heated through.
- Serve and garnish: Serve the creamy white chicken chili hot. Top with fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, diced avocado, green onions, and crunchy tortilla chips as desired for added flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream to reduce fat content without sacrificing creaminess.
- If you prefer less spice, reduce or omit the cayenne pepper.
- Use leftover roasted chicken or rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- Pureeing part of the beans creates a smoother, creamier chili base.
- Adjust salt according to the sodium level of your chicken broth.
- Fresh lime juice adds brightness; avoid bottled lime juice for better flavor.
